Four years ago, Tyler Simpson was facing some serious challenges, including depression and addiction. Today, he’s a journeyman cabinetmaker who last month won a silver medal at a national competition.

“My substance of choice was alcohol, and I’m 3½ years sober,” Simpson said in an email. “I was diagnosed with Type 2 bipolar two years ago.

“I somehow managed to get sober on my own, and I don’t recommend it. It was extremely difficult and confusing to deal with everything that came up without anyone to talk to.”

About eight years ago, Simpson, 27, started working at Starline Cabinets in Chilliwack, where one of his friends was already employed. He really enjoyed the work, and knew he wanted to go back to school to further his skills.

“Once I got sober in January of 2010, it took me about a year to feel confident enough to start my schooling,” Simpson said, adding that his foreman at work was a graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology, so “it seemed like the place to go.”

“I enrolled in the joinery program at BCIT and started my first year of apprenticeship in October of 2011,” said the lifelong Chilliwack resident.

Last week, Statistics Canada’s 2011 National Household Survey showed that both Canada and B.C. are facing a looming shortage of skilled workers in the trades as the number of qualified older workers approaching retirement outnumbers younger ones.

The data says the shortfall is expected, in part because a lower proportion of young adults aged 25-34 hold a trades certificate compared with older adults aged 55-64.

But for young people looking to get a trade certificate, programs are often full, with long waiting lists. At the British Columbia Institute of Technology, for example, beginning trades programs often have two- or three-year waiting lists, said Paul Dangerfield, BCIT’s vice-president of education.

But apprenticeship programs, like the one Simpson attended at BCIT, are the one area of trades training that has space. The catch is that in order enter this type of program, a student must already have a sponsoring employer, which is sometimes difficult to find.

Once a cabinetmaker apprenticeship is completed, a BCIT outcomes survey shows that 83 per cent of respondents are employed at an average wage of $25 per hour.

The work includes anything from high-volume production of cabinets to extremely high-end millwork to furniture making, Simpson said.

“Cabinetmaking is all about building things to strict specifications accurately and efficiently,” Simpson said. “I love what I do because every day I see the result of the effort and attention to detail I put into a project. It’s rewarding to make something beautiful with your hands and hear from a satisfied customer.”

Not only is it rewarding, but recently Simpson won a silver medal at the Skills Canada Competition — a national competition that pits trades people against each other. He was also a gold medal winner in the provincial competition earlier in the year.

At the provincial competition, he made a small foot stool in six hours and at the national competition he made a small table over two six-hour days.

“I was truly shocked when they called my name for the silver medal, I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Simpson said. “My education has given me confidence both in the field and subsequently outside of work in my personal life. Most importantly, my education has given me a career, not just a job.”

He credited his instructors with encouraging him, helping him study and giving him the tools he needed to succeed at the competition.

“I wouldn’t have entered the competitions if it weren’t for them, and I’m incredibly grateful for their support,” Simpson said. “The competition itself was an amazing experience. It was nice to take part in something that celebrated the trades and showed that they can be incredibly satisfying and rewarding, both things I feel every day.”

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